RCI | Englishhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en
CBC/Radio-Canada’s multilingual website highlighting the democratic and cultural values of Canadians of all origins.Tue, 31 Mar 2015 19:03:35 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1Canada and the Arctic: less talk, more action.http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/canada-and-the-arctic-less-talk-more-action/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/canada-and-the-arctic-less-talk-more-action/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 19:01:27 +0000Marc Montgomeryhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39050Fen Hampson is the co-author of several books, and articles on Canadian sovereignty, foreign policy, domestic and international security, trade and other geopolitical issues. His latest book is called Brave New Canada Meeting the Challenge of a Changing World. In…»]]>

Fen Hampson is the co-author of several books, and articles on Canadian sovereignty, foreign policy, domestic and international security, trade and other geopolitical issues.

His latest book is called Brave New Canada Meeting the Challenge of a Changing World. In it, he notes that as many nations take a heightened interest in the Arctic, Canada can no longer ignore it’s own long-standing claim, especially as Russia beefs up it’s activities and strengths in the Arctic, backed by some very strong language.

Fen Osler Hampson is also a distinguished fellow and director of Global Security at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and Chancellor’s Professor at Carleton University

Successive Canadian governments have often spoken of the need and their intention to strengthen Canada’s presence in the Arctic. This is not only to protect sovereignty, but in terms of control of development and of the ability to respond to humanitarian and environmental emergencies.

With retreating ice due to warming and climate change, the pressures for development and risk of environmental disasters, such as oil spills, have been increasing at a far greater rate than ever before.

In spite of that, little has actually been accomplished by Canadian governments in terms of infrastructure, military presence, or any other substantial activity, other than mapping the Arctic floor.

Professor Hampson notes that Russia has been rapidly building up both its Arctic infrastructure and military, and that it has been using sometimes very aggressive language in response to any criticisms, or perceived threats.

Indeed in an article in the Globe and Mail newspaper, co-written with former Canadian ambassador to the US, Derek Burney, Professor Hampson wrote, “The brutal assassination of the prominent Russian opposition leader and former deputy prime minister, Boris Nemtsov, should dispel any lingering doubts that Vladimir Putin’s “New Russia” is a normal country that respects the rule of law and with which the West can do business.”

He notes that Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Rogozin has been appointed as head of Moscow’s new Commission for Arctic issues, a man who has said the collapse of the former Soviet Union was the “greatest collapse of the 20th century” and that in regard to the US state Alaska, that the sale to the Americans was a “betrayal” and that Russia had a right to reclaim its lost colonies.

Professor Hampson says in the face of such militaristic rumblings, the other rapidly increasing pressures on issues of sovereignty control, access and management of resources, (fish, animal, and mineral), climate change, and the ability to deal with accidents and emergencies, all require Canada to stop talking about its presence in the Arctic, and begin to take concrete action.

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/canada-and-the-arctic-less-talk-more-action/feed/0Place des Arts in Montreal getting a make-overhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/place-des-arts-in-montreal-getting-a-make-over/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/place-des-arts-in-montreal-getting-a-make-over/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 17:32:44 +0000Carmel Kilkennyhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39040Place des Arts, in the heart of Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles is just beside the square that fills to capacity with the headliners of the Montreal International Jazz Festival every July. For the next two summers some of the esplande…»]]>

For the next two summers some of the esplande will be fenced off as work continues to improve the already beautiful site, one of the most highly-frequented public spaces in the city.

The Quebec provincial government will spend C$34.2 million to create a giant outdoor stage to host big events year-round.

Officials say there will be 50 per cent more trees, increasing shaded areas, and there will be two new pools with fountains.

“The work sequence was planned to interfere as little as possible with the major events so characteristic of Montreal,” Place des Arts President and CEO Marc Blondeau explained in an interview with CBC Montreal.

It will still be under construction, however, for the big events in 2017, both the 150th anniversary of Canada, and the 350th anniversary of the city of Montreal.

The work begins immediately

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/place-des-arts-in-montreal-getting-a-make-over/feed/0Canada’s Information Commissioner finds erosion of access to information, ‘culture of secrecy’http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/canadas-information-commissioner-finds-erosion-of-access-to-information-culture-of-secrecy/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/canadas-information-commissioner-finds-erosion-of-access-to-information-culture-of-secrecy/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 17:25:56 +0000Wojtek Gwiazdahttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39041“There has been a steady erosion of access to information rights in Canada over the last 30 years” says Canada’s Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. “Although the Act was intended to shine a light on government decisions, it has become a…»]]>

“There has been a steady erosion of access to information rights in Canada over the last 30 years” says Canada’s Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. “Although the Act was intended to shine a light on government decisions, it has become a shield against transparency and has encouraged a culture of delay.”

In the report “Striking the Right Balance for Transparency-Recommendations to modernize the Access to Information Act” released Tuesday (March 31) Commissioner Legault calls for a modernization of the Access to Information Act which was adopted in 1982. But she cautions, “A modern Act will only succeed, however, if there is a concomitant change in institutional culture from secrecy to openness, from delay to timeliness.”

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/canadas-information-commissioner-finds-erosion-of-access-to-information-culture-of-secrecy/feed/0Universities should cut enrolment by 30 percent while colleges increase: studyhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/universities-should-cut-enrolment-by-30-percent-while-colleges-increase-study/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/universities-should-cut-enrolment-by-30-percent-while-colleges-increase-study/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 17:02:57 +0000Carmel Kilkennyhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39019Ken Coates, a professor at the School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan and Canada Research Chair, Regional Innovation, is recommending that university enrolment be cut by 30 per cent, to the benefit of colleges and technical schools.…»]]>

Ken Coates, a professor at the School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan and Canada Research Chair, Regional Innovation, is recommending that university enrolment be cut by 30 per cent, to the benefit of colleges and technical schools.

He makes these points in a study commissioned by the Canadian Council for Chief Executives. Ken Coates says the Council has been looking into the training debate in Canada, in light of skills shortages within the country and having to bring in people from abroad to fill the needs, while so many here remain under-employed.

He says back in the 1960′s, 20 to 30 western countries had a hold on university education. He says the advantage that we formerly had in producing higher educated people has evaporated with the development and promotion of university in places like China and India.

“We’ve got a disconnect between how we’re funnelling people into the university system global and the actual nature of the global economy.”

He also points to the current reality wherein Canada is second, behind Span, in having the highest rate of under-employed university graduates. He says “we’ve got a disconnect between how we’re funnelling people into the university system global and the actual nature of the global economy.”

“We’ve sold our students, and we’ve sold ourselves quite frankly, on this mythology of a knowledge-economy where you had to have 16 years of education, a full degree beyond high school if you were to compete in the fast-moving internet-driven age. What we’ve got instead is a specialist economy where employers are looking for very particular people with very particular skills and that’s not how our system is set up and more importantly, that’s not how our expectations are set up.”

In Ontario there has been a 40 per cent increase in the number of people with university degrees going back to college for skills training. And while a higher education is never a waste, Coates says “so-called blue-collar bias” in many families is muddying the waters.

One of the solutions, he says, is to have business leaders and governments speak more openly about the range of career-opportunities that do exist, and have teachers broaden the horizons they project on the children; talk of university as the one destination post-secondary is not serving the students or Canadian society.

Excellence is also required

Ken Coates says flexibility is the only real strength you have, along with, and perhaps more importantly, excellence. He says for most of our post-war period mediocrity or average ability was fine for the factory and resource-related labouring jobs we once had. But they don’t exist now.

He says we suffer from the fact that we don’t have a national system of education, so we have a variety of systems that serve their regions with varying degrees of success.

Coates says we Canadians have an obsession with accessibility: everyone must have the right to go to university. He says he is of the mind that people should have to earn the right to have these remarkable opportunities.

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/universities-should-cut-enrolment-by-30-percent-while-colleges-increase-study/feed/0History: March 31, 1949, Canada completed!http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/history-march-31-1949-canada-completed/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/history-march-31-1949-canada-completed/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 16:06:14 +0000Marc Montgomeryhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39025Canada is often said to be a young country, and it’s final addition after the Second World War attests to that fact. Newfoundland was England’s first possession in the “new world”, and the final province in Canada. Prime Minister Louis…»]]>

Canada is often said to be a young country, and it’s final addition after the Second World War attests to that fact.

Newfoundland was England’s first possession in the “new world”, and the final province in Canada.

Having been visited by fishing boats and crews from Europe who set up temporary summer camps for more than a century, England decided in 1583 to claim the island permanently and from about 1610 onwards set about to establish permanent colonies.

Wars back and forth between British and French in Europe and on the island continued until the Treaty of Utrect in 1713, when Britain gained full control of the island.

However, that was not the end of fighting which saw more conflicts among British, French and Spanish for the control of the valuable fishing grounds around the island including a failed French attempt to land and take over the island in 1762, known as the battle of Signal Hill.

The new country of Canada was just two years old when the colony of Newfoundland rejected joining in 1869 and again in 1892.

Newfoundland gained autonomy as a Dominion in 1907, but with very close ties to Britain remaining.

In 1927, Britain ruled in the longstanding dispute over the mainland area known as Labrador. It said that region would belong to Newfoundland and not Quebec.

However, during that same time, the self-governing Dominion was going through extremely hard times. The First World War had almost bankrupted the province, the Great Deprssion was just around the corner, and fish prices, a main source of income, were depressed.

In 1933, the government voted itself out of existence and the dominion became a ward of the British government ruled through seven appointed commissioners for 15 years.

After prosperity had returned with the Second World War, by 1946 Newfoundland wanted again to decide its own fate. The question for residents was to now whether to be independent, continue as a ward of Britain, or join with Canada, although a smaller faction suggested joining the United States.

Canada had long wanted Newfoundland to join confederation. When the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa were completed in 1927 after the 1916 fire had destroyed the entire centre block (except for the magnificent Libarary, stone plaques were erected over the entrance to the Victory and Peace Tower. There were ten of them, nine bearing the coats of arms of the provinces and one left bare, to await the day when Newfoundland joined Canada.

With Canada’s wish on one side and a financially depleted Britain eager to divest itself of responsibility for the “colony”, and not eager for it to join the US, there were rumours of activity behind the scenes to tip Newfoundland towards Canada.

After an often bitter three years of debate Newfoundland in which a first referendum with a number of options was not conclusive, residents voted in a second referendum between self-government or joining with Canada. By a narrow margin of about 4 percent islanders voted to join with Canada.

Thus Newfoundland officially became the tenth and final province at 11:59 PM on March 31, 1949.

The “confederation” campaign had been led by Joseph “Joey” Smallwood, who became the province’s first Premier, who had said that union with Canada would put an end to the economic uncertainty of Newfounlanders.

The Canadian encylopaedia entry notes that Smallwood’s imperishable achievement, according to his biographer Richard Gwyn, was that he persuaded a country to surrender its nationhood, voluntarily and democratically.

On December 6, 2001, an amendment was made to the Constitution of Canada to change the province’s official name to Newfoundland and Labrador

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/history-march-31-1949-canada-completed/feed/0Temporary Foreign Workers may begin going home by the thousands tomorrowhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/temporary-foreign-workers-may-be-going-home-by-the-thousands-tomorrow/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/temporary-foreign-workers-may-be-going-home-by-the-thousands-tomorrow/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 15:42:31 +0000Carmel Kilkennyhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39021Temporary Foreign Workers have been employed in Canada, often doing jobs and services other Canadians won’t. But beginning April 1st, many of their permits expire, ending a four-year stay, and deportation will follow. The federal government changed the rules of…»]]>

Temporary Foreign Workers have been employed in Canada, often doing jobs and services other Canadians won’t. But beginning April 1st, many of their permits expire, ending a four-year stay, and deportation will follow.

The federal government changed the rules of the TFW program in 2011, allowing them to apply to become permanent residents or leave the country.

Many have applied to stay, but the process is so slow they may have to go home before final decisions are rendered.

Peter Wong, a Calgary, Alberta immigration lawyer with Caron & Partners LLP has dozens of clients in this situation. In an interview with CBC, Wong said, “They’re scared; they can’t sleep at night.”

Alvin Sacluti, who works at a fast-food restaurant in Calgary, has been in the city for eight years, and now faces deportation, told CBC, ‘We are still praying. We are still hopeful”.

His colleague, Michele Quiyan, sends most of her paycheque home to her family in Manila every month. “My son and husband were deeply dreaming about living here, in Canada”, she said in tears.

Many of Peter Wong’s clients have applied to stay through Alberta’s Immigrant Nominee Program, but it can take up to two years to process the requests.

One option they have, is to apply to the province for another four-year permit as a TFW and wait to be formally rejected. Legally they don’t have to leave the country until they receive that letter.

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/temporary-foreign-workers-may-be-going-home-by-the-thousands-tomorrow/feed/0Vancouver votes to shift to 100 per cent renewable energy sourceshttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/vancouver-votes-to-shift-to-100-per-cent-renewable-energy-sources/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/vancouver-votes-to-shift-to-100-per-cent-renewable-energy-sources/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 15:16:05 +0000Wojtek Gwiazdahttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39023Canada’s Pacific coast port city of Vancouver has voted to shift to 100 per cent renewable energy sources. The motion passed unanimously on March 25, calls on the city’s staff to “bring back the long-range Climate Action Plan to Council by…»]]>

Canada’s Pacific coast port city of Vancouver has voted to shift to 100 per cent renewable energy sources. The motion passed unanimously on March 25, calls on the city’s staff to “bring back the long-range Climate Action Plan to Council by fall 2015 with a clear articulation of the date by which a shift to 100% renewable energy sources is feasible.”

Moved by Mayor Robertson and seconded by Deputy Mayor Reimer, the motion also commits the city to advocating to “regional, provincial and national governments to support an international agreement that commits to 100% renewable energy sources.”

In presenting the motion Mayor Robertson called climate change “the most daunting and important challenge of our time.”

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/vancouver-votes-to-shift-to-100-per-cent-renewable-energy-sources/feed/0Province has reached `critical moment`in workers`rights, says new reporthttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/province-has-reached-critical-momentin-workersrights-says-new-report/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/province-has-reached-critical-momentin-workersrights-says-new-report/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 14:44:58 +0000Wojtek Gwiazdahttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39018The Canadian province of Ontario has reached “a critical moment. The government’s Changing Workplace Review gives us the opportunity to open up labour laws, identify the gaps, and develop a new legislative architecture that can support decency in Ontario workplaces.”…»]]>

The Canadian province of Ontario has reached “a critical moment. The government’s Changing Workplace Review gives us the opportunity to open up labour laws, identify the gaps, and develop a new legislative architecture that can support decency in Ontario workplaces.” That’s the conclusion of a new report released Tuesday (March 31) by the Workers“ Action Centre, a workers’ rights organization based in the city of Toronto.

The report points to the changing reality of workers who often work for more than one employer “We are facing a labour market where 41 percent of work is outside the standard, full-time, permanent employment contract with a single employer,” and the report calls for the need to redefine the definition of employee.

This is the second such report the Centre has produced on the workforce in Canada’s most populous province. The previous report (in 2007) was titled “Working on the Edge”.

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/province-has-reached-critical-momentin-workersrights-says-new-report/feed/0Hockey helmets; not so safe?http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/hockey-helmets-not-so-safe/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/hockey-helmets-not-so-safe/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 13:16:35 +0000Marc Montgomeryhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=39009It’s called the STAR system, an anacronym for Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk. It’s a sports helmet rating system devised by the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech University in the USA. The five-star rating was in development…»]]>

It’s called the STAR system, an anacronym for Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk.

It’s a sports helmet rating system devised by the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech University in the USA. The five-star rating was in development for some ten years to evaluate football helmets for their ability to reduce injury from concussions and released initial findings on those helmets in 2011.

Virginia Tech claims that as a result of their testing and rating system, manufacturers of football helmets have greatly improved their products in the past few years.

However at least one Canadian concussion expert, Dr Steve Echlin questions the methodology saying that the cause of injury is the brain moving against the skull. Speaking to a CBC reporter he said, “Trying to rate helmets and saying that it’s related to reduction in concussions, is very questionable.” He questions whether the tests relate to actual cause of concussion, the brain hitting the skull, “We don’t know that, and to try to sell this as a basis of a marketing of helmets, I think is very wrong”.

He also insists that in junior hockey leagues, enforcing non-contact play would be a big step toward reducing concussion injuries in children playing hockey

In Canada, only helmets tested and certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) are allowed, although they have not deemed any helmet as “concussion resistant”

The American university developed hockey helmet tests over three years and have just released their initial findings on 32 helmets on the market.

An interesting note is that no helmet received a five or even four star rating, but among the helmets, price was no guarantee of protection level, with one of the least expensive helmets providing better protection than many others at twice the price.

Stefan Duma, head of the university’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, is co-director of the study.

“Our focus is to improve the safety of the sport, and we have spent a great deal of time developing the methods and relaying these to the manufacturers so that they can optimize their designs,” Duma said. “Our hope is to see new helmets come into the market with improved performance.”
The university’s findings included:

1 helmet earned three stars, or “good” — the Warrior Krown 360 , actually one of the least expensive helmets.

6 helmets earned two stars or “adequate”.

16 helmets earned one star including the most expensive

9 helmets earned no star at all

The research article is published in the April issue of the science journal. Annals of Biomedical Engineering

Researchers tested each helmet in four directions at three energy levels twice — a total 48 tests per model. The entire evaluation process included more than 2,000 impact tests done both on an ice rink and inside a laboratory.

The tests included rotational impact, when the head is turned suddenly on impact, in addition to linear impact which is motion in the dirction of the impact. Concussion is more often related to rotational impact according to neurosurgeons.

The researchers say that hockey has a higher rate of concussion than football. They say that no helmet will protect completely from a concussion, but that better helmets lower brain acceleration which lowers injury risk.

They note that further tests on other sports helmets are to come.

YOUTUBE VIDEO

]]>http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/31/hockey-helmets-not-so-safe/feed/0First Nations developing financial literacyhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/30/first-nations-developing-financial-literacy/
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2015/03/30/first-nations-developing-financial-literacy/#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 23:09:25 +0000Carmel Kilkennyhttp://www.rcinet.ca/en/?p=38978AFOA Canada (formerly the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada) is an organization dedicated to training and building a community of professionals. Their latest endeavour is a National Aboriginal Financial Literacy On-line Survey which launched in January 2015. They’re hoping to have 3,000…»]]>

AFOA Canada (formerly the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada) is an organization dedicated to training and building a community of professionals. Their latest endeavour is a National Aboriginal Financial Literacy On-line Survey which launched in January 2015. They’re hoping to have 3,000 completed surveys by the beginning of April.

This national survey, a first, will allow organizers to know where to begin: ‘”We’re trying to find out what life is really like financially for our people” explains Paulette Tremblay vice-president of Education and Training for the AFOA.

“We’re trying to find out what life is really like financially for our people”

Paulette Tremblay,explains, “It’s about money; it’s about how you manage and how you make financial decisions.” Last year they took action. “We conducted an international literature review of indigenous financial literacy in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States” One of the recommendations, following a review of the international situation, was that in Canada more research was necessary, according to Tremblay.

First Nations communities are becoming financially savy, and for Tremblay, education is the key. In partnership with the CPA (Certified Public Accountants of Canada) the AFOA has developed certification programs for the leadership in native communities across the country.

The ‘Certified Aboriginal Financial Manager’ (CAFM) is a 14-credit diploma, made up of 5 courses on-line, and 9 courses taken at a partnering university or college. There are 1500 people with this certification now. More recently the ‘Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator’ (CAPA) was developed and now there are 42 people with this certification.

“It’s aboriginal finance and it’s aboriginal administration”

“One of the things we teach, in our CAPA and in our CAFM certification programs, is about aboriginal history and about the treaties and about all of this right, so people who take our courses love them and say that they know so much more about who they are and why their communities are the way they are, and have the knowledge and skills to operate successfully as an administrator, and once you get certified, everybody has the same certification…”

The next step is to share this financial acumen with the larger community. With almost half of Canada’s First Nations people living off-reserve, the ability to navigate financial transactions and options is a necessity in the mostly urban environments aboriginal people are living in. “What is happening now that is different is that many of our people… are making money. We’re breaking new ground,” says Paulette Tremblay.